Evelyn sucked in her breath, finding it easier to breath as warmth ensconced her, but she could feel Jake's hands on her shoulders as he arranged his hoodie and she didn't move.

She felt guilty. She couldn't lift her head yet because he'd see her face so she simply kept her eyes turned down as she said, "You're going to freeze, Jake, take it back. I'm all right." Her hand slowly lifted up to touch his over her shoulder, hesitating.

"That's fine, I don't mind." Jake said letting his hand fall off her shoulder. He wasn't exactly sure what kind of mood Evelyn was in so he didn't want to upset her even more than she was. "I uh, its getting dark I don't want you walking back alone." He said quietly.

***

"I hope he's okay." Lola said frowning, she pulled out her phone just to shot Jake a text to see if he had made it back.

"What planet have you been on?" Seht asked Lola. "Jake's fine, trust me on that." He winked at the other boys and Ashton grinned, slinging an arm around Lola to give her shoulders a squeeze.

"As much as it pains me to agree with Seth, he's right. Trust me, whenever Jake's out with Evelyn, he never comes back before midnight," he informed her truthfully.

***

Evelyn felt even worse now. She hated that James had put those ugly thoughts back into her mind. She hated herself for letting her memories bother her. It wasn't Jake's fault. Why couldn't she forgive it and forget?

She'd forgiven him, she knew that, because he hadn't done anything.

But his body had though. And her heart was having a hard time forgetting how it had thumped in terror a few weeks ago when Jake had attacked - and nearly...raped - her.

Evelyn felt herself shudder once more, and clamped her hands over her mouth, feeling a sudden sob build up in her throat. No, not now, not in front of him. Oh no. She bit her lower lip and choked the sob down, the tiniest whimper escaping. Not Jake's fault. It was never his fault.

Jake was waiting for an answer, she suddenly remembered way too late. Evelyn turned to him, blinking tears out of her eyes, to tell him she could walk back fine on her own.

Instead, the suppressed sob escaped her throat and burst out of her lips, past her fisted hands. Evelyn closed her eyes, ashamed.

Seth glanced at Antonio as they walked. He lowered his voice so the girls wouldn't hear. "Hey, Tigger! I got an idea. You up for a little mischief on our last night?"

***

Evelyn started, alarmed at the sudden contact, but didn't resist, letting herself slump against Jake as her nose inhaled his familiar scent. She fought herself, composing the stupid untimely breakdown as she buried her face into Jake's chest to muffle the following sniffles.

It took her a second to register his words. She drew back, ignorant of her wet eyes, and blinked up at him. "You didn't do anything," she said weakly. And he really hadn't.

Seth smiled impishly, looking over at Lola and Carrie behind them. "Just a little Halloween style fun." He grinned. "Jake has this wolf mask, see, and I bought a mask recently, it's pretty grotesque. We need to use 'em one last time before we leave." He smirked. "We need some help with effects, and you adn Ash can help us out with that.. We'll do all the scaling walls stuff to get to certain people's windows."

***

Evelyn would have liked to have told him, but somehow she didn't think Jake wanted details on exactly how much her friends hated his guts. So she forced a weak smile as he wiped her tears away, and said, "Oh that? I was too terrified to distract you from your drag racing. I mean, you already have terrible focus."

They entered the Dorms building and called down the elevator. "I hope he gets back before midnight this time. It's important."

***

"I am now," Evelyn said truthfully, skin tingling where his fingers touched the side of her face. She was already feeling better. She ignored the rogue thought that it was Jake behind that. Suddenly realizing his hands were still cupping her face, she swallowed, feeling her cheeks redden under his gaze.

The boys reached their suite while Ashton walked upstairs with Lola and Carrie.

"Catch you guys around," Carrie called, taking off toward her suite and Ashton nodded to her. He idly wondered what it was that Seth and Antonio had been whispering about on their walk home as he and Lola headed for her suite. Pausing outside her door, Ashton turned to flash a smile down at her. "Well, I guess I'll see you before we both leave for Italy?"

***

Evelyn fell silent, letting Jake tug her across campus. She dimly remembered tomorrow was the final move out day. "When are you heading for Spain?" she asked him curiously. "Before, or after your birthday?"

"Of course I'm not leaving until after my birthday so hopefully we do see each other once or twice before I go." Lola said to Ashton with a smile.

***

"After. I'm leaving with Lola on the 14th after her birthday. We wanted to celebrate with our families and probably a few friends before we left. How about you?" Jake asked Evelyn as they crossed campus.

"June 14th, two days after my birthday and a few days after Jake's, don't worry you won't have to deal with Seth that much longer." Lola reassured him.

***

"Lola and I have a connecting flight to D.C. but from D.C. she goes to Italy and I go to Spain. And no my family isn't coming. My dad has a hard time taking the time off, and most of my mom is remodeling something in the house she needs to be here to watch that I guess." Jake said with a shrug, although hearing about Evelyn leaving kind of made sad.

"Actually, I will," Ashton said. "We're not leaving for Italy till the start of June, so Seth and I will be hanging out all May no doubt. Tony too, of course." He cringed. "Seth and TOny is totally what I wanna see in my summer."

***

Evelyn nodded at Jake, remembering her conversation with James. "Ash, Luke and James will leave for Ash Creek around the same time I do. Then around the beginning of July, they're taking a flight to Seattle because that's where we're catching our flight to England." She grinned a little, giving Jake's fingers an absent squeeze. "We already have tour guides for Italy, but James flat-out refuses to go to Spain even if Luke wants to."

Lola giggled grabbing Ashton's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "Don't worry at least in Italy you'll only have to deal with your brother and not Seth. Plus I'll be there too and I'm sure we can find some time to spend there together."

***

"And I don't want him in Spain." Jake said defensively. Seriously even though he hated the guy what were the chances of them even running into each other anyway.

Evelyn winced at Jake's comment, but she expected it. She glanced up at him, keeping her voice even. "Well, we were gonna do Italy and then Spain, or, well, I was," she said, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles in a continual circle. "But I doubt we'd run into you if that makes you feel better. We're only staying in Barcelona a day." She flashed him a brief smile. "I think that's actually on my birthday, July 13th."

Lola giggled. "I'm sure Jake won't notice, its not like he's some kind of blood hound. He's just protective is all."

***

Jake liked that idea but honestly what were the chances her friends would even let Evelyn get within a foot of him? They would probably be on her like a hawk and the last thing he would want is James there. If anything Jake went to Spain every summer to get away from all the stupid shit that went down in New York through out the year and this year boy did he need to go there badly.

"I mean that's all nice but really I won't be able to celebrate because your friends will be too busy throwing stones at me to even let me wish you a happy birthday. So hey maybe we'll just have to see each other when we get back in the city." Jake said kind of icily.

"And short-tempered," Ashton commented. "I'm always amazed Evelyn tolerates him for so long considering she has zero temperament."

***

Evelyn flinched at his tone, pulling at her hand as she stopped walking, tugging him to a stop with her. "I know that, I was just telling you I was going to be there on my birthday, not asking you be there," she said, frowning up at him. "And James probably won't even be with me, so even if we did run into you, the odds being a billion to one, you wouldn't see him, just Luke and Ash. And me," she added quietly. "But that's only if we ran into each other. You're welcome to do your own thing." She pulled her hand from his and continued walking.

Jacob walked after her groaning. "Seriously you don't think I don't wanna celebrate with you? I'd love to. But its your friends that would stand there being all criticizing and crap. You know I do wanna be your friend and crap, but at the same time I'd feel bad if you lost friends like Ashlee and Luke I guess. But James I really could give two shits less about impressing him or whatever."

Evelyn looked over her shoulder at Jake, silent for a moment before she looked away. "It's not - I just meant, we're just friends, Jake. I don't expect you to have to be there, you know?" she said softly, clasping her hands together.

***

"Oh yeah, physical violence being their communication," Ashton muttered. He straightened up, stretching. "Anyways, um, I should go. I still have some shit to pack up."

Ashton nodded at her and then leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek before heading back downstairs. "I'll call you sometime before I leave and we can meet up," he called back.

***

Evelyn looked at her feet as they proceeded across the quad. She kind of hated that she'd let James' words get to her. When he'd called her a Jake-magnet, she'd become somewhat rebellious about proving she wasn't.

She had kind of hoped maybe brushing off Jake enough would repel him from her. Now she just felt like shit. If she was honest, she'd actually wanted to see him on her birthday. He knew Barcelona and if she was even more honest, he knew how to get her to loosen up and have fun better than most people. And she hated that she wouldn't be able to have him there on her one special day.

Instinctively her hand swung out, seeking Jake's. She pushed her hand out from under the long sleeve of his hoodie, twined his fingers with hers and gave them a brief squeeze. "Sorry," she whispered to the ground.

Evelyn frowned. This was just stupid. It was her birthday. Shouldn't she get that one day to hang with whoever she wanted without being judged?

She looked up at Jake as they entered the lobby and waited for the lift. "When are you getting back from Spain? Did you guys work out place to live? Because I just realized the dorm application deadline passed." She flashed him a small smile, squeezing his fingers playfully. "I'll miss my room. Weirdest place I've ever lived. I think my window was used more than my door."